Together
by Superstition
Summary: Lily and James have a... disagreement, and Dumbledore sees fit to place a charm on them that does.. what? And how do they end it?
1. Reinci

"Potter is going to die. And this time I really mean it." Lily growled to her best friend Jon as she marched over to where the Marauders were standing. 'EVANS, I LOVE YOU– JAMES' was emblazoned in bright pink above them, contrasting with the dark back of the night sky.

"So, you think she'll like it?" Lily could hear James distinctly asking.

Sirius Black shrugged. "Dunno. We have to wait till morning, mate."

Peter Pettrigrew caught sight of the angry Lily and turned white. "I wouldn't be too sure about that if I were you."

"What the-" James turned around as Lily and Jon reached them. Catching himself, he performed a mock bow. "And what do you want, my cherryblossom?" he asked, grinning at her.

_Take a breath. _Lily warned herself. _Count to ten. You don't want it to end up the way it did last time. _"I- want to you to- take that stupid thing down this instant!" She yelled.

"You mean you don't like it?" James pretended to look hurt.

"No, I love it, its like my birthday come early." She replied sarcastically.

Jon leaned over to Lily, "Don't make a big deal. Just let it go." as Remus Lupin did the same for James. Both ignored their friends.

James swept out an arm of welcome. "I'm so very glad. My colleagues and I took especial care in perfecting it."

Lily gritted her teeth. "Then you won't mind if I make it disappear!" She waved her wand at it and recited and incantation she'd learned in _Advanced Magical Spells and Their Use In the Modern-Day Witch or Wizard's Life. _The title was nowhere near as long as the spells recorded inside.

However complicatedit was, the spell didn't work. Lily tried another. It didn't work. She turned on the Marauders. "Why won't it- it won't- I can't- GET THAT MESSAGE THE !#$ OFF THE SKIES, POTTER, OR I SWEAR I'LL HEX YOU WITHIN AND INCH OF YOUR LIFE!" James raised his eyebrow as he fiddled with his wand. The remaining three hid smirks behind their hands.

"I don't duel with girls." He replied cooly.

Lily got herself together. "Coward."

"You shouldn't have said that, Evans." James stepped forward menacingly, wand out.

"What are you doing, Potter? Trying to win an award for best drama?"

"No. I'm in a wizard's duel." Without warning, he pointed his wand at her. "_Tantellegra!_" Sirius grabbed Jon.

"Don't interfere."

Lily's face flushed as she began to do a sort of exaggerated tap-dance. "_Expelliarmus!_"

James' wand flew out of his hand, landing in a bush. He ran to retrieve it, giving Lily enough time to perform the reversing spell. As he was coming back, wand-hand outstretched, Lily called out yet another incantation. "_Funuculus!_" James was covered with fungi.

"_Eugenious_!" James roared. Lily found she couldn't see. Stumbling, she performed the counter-curse as James yelled "_Scourgify!_" She got up and pointed her wand at James, but found he was running towards her. "Extren-" James crashed into her, and forced her down to the ground.

"No- fair." She managed to get out, gasping. "It's a wizard's duel. No – physical contact."

"Not my problem.' He informed her, looking slightly out of breath.

"But-" Lily gasped. Professor Dumbledore was standing behind them, beaming absentmindedly down at them.

"Really, Miss Evans, I don't know what took a hold of you. James Potter of all people? I always thought you and Mr. Carmichael would do well together."

The six were sitting in Dumbledore's office, gazing nervously at the elderly man. Seeing his implication, all three mentioned burst out in protest.

"We're just friends… we are sir…"

"_Evans_? And _me_? As if! I mean, she's hot and all, but-"

"It wasn't _my_ fault that James spontaneously decided to fling himself on top of me. I've better ways to spend my evenings, thank-"

"Then what, Miss Evans, may I ask _was _he doing on top of you?" Dumbledore inquired, appearing not the least bit interested.

All five heads turned to Lily, who blushed beet red. "Well.. you see sir… James and I had… a disagreement… about the message… and… we had a duel… and James fought illegally… the muggle way… and… it won't ever happen again. Terribly sorry, sir."

"I should hope not." Sighing, Dumbledore got up and walked to his window, and stared outside at the lettering. "Everyone but Miss Evans and Mr. Potter. Out."

As soon as everyone had left he turned and smiled genuinely at the pair. "I'm going to place a charm on you."

James spoke. "Err… sir… what?"

"Happened to me once. Dear old Bella Lingstrom. Wonder where she is now." The Headmaster stared wistfully at the broom closet, as if remembering some bygone time and place. Suddenly enough to startle Lily and James, he snapped out of it. "Well, well, that's that. _Reinci!_"

They felt a slight tickle on their lips, as if a miniscule breeze had just wafted over it. Looking at Dumbledore in question, they both started to ask him if they were dismissed.

He smiled fondly at his tow most promising pupils. "You may go now, I believe. Although, not in separate directions." Laughing heartily at some unknown joke, he opened the door for them. They could still hear their headmaster's laugh as they prceded down the corridor toward the staircases.


	2. Invisible Wall

_A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! Let me know if you have any other suggestions! About the swear words- If my parents found out that I posted that kinda stuff up here, I wouldn't be allowed to write. So, although I have no problem with them, I prefer keeping this account. At any rate… thanks for the suggestion. If you guys have any idea on how I could perfect my work (other than grammatical errors, I know its horrible and that I'm lazy, but I hate proofreading). _

_Disclaimer: I am in no way, shape, or form the only member of the magical world that surpasses Dumbledore – Ms. Joanne Kathleen Rowling. _

The two stalked down the hall in silence, not in close enough to touch, but not exactly far away. Griffindors had long since learned that it was unwise to wander the corridors alone during Quidditch season – Slytherins would sneak up on unwary students and find something to do with them, not caring about the punishments. Lily knew this only too well. She had recently been dumped in the lake after trying to stop Slytherins from taking Jon. He got away, but Lily got a mouthful of water.

"What's _Reinci_?" James asked her as they continued to make their way to the staircase.

Lily shrugged. "I don't know, Potter, and if I did, I wouldn't tell you." This was said more as a fact than as an insult.

"Merlin, Lily, you don't have to be so… so… yourself about it."

She sped up, but James was close at her heels. "For the last time, Potter, my name's Evans."

"But Lil- Evans, can't you-" he stopped when he heard a footstep behind them. "Someone's here. Don't look." James muttered urgently out of the corner of his mouth as Lily started to swing around to see. "If we make it to the staircase, we might be able to make a dash for the tower.

"Potter, that's the stupidest plan I ever heard."

"You got a better one?"

"No," Lily persisted as she quickened her pace. "But anything's better than this."

"Evans-"

They heard a snicker from behind them. Lily sighed and turned around to see five masked Slytherins standing there, wands out. She could recognize two – the largest was Marco Leblank, the Beater and Captain of the Slytherin team, and the dirty, ragged robes belonged to Severus Snape, a Dark Arts fanatic.

"So." drawled Leblank. "What exactly where you two lovebirds whispering about?"

"First of all," James darted a quick glance at Lily who nodded and fingered her wand, "we aren't lovebirds. Second of- _Petrificus Totalus!"_

_"Afring!"_

Leblank and another were laying on the floor, both hit by their curses. Snape shot curse at James, who deflected it, but the fourth and fifth members were too slow to notice that they had just fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the book. Finally, they both realized what was going on, and advanced on Lily.

Deciding to use the one that had worked so well on his leader, the taller of the two waved his wand, "_Petrificus Totalus!"_

"_Protego!" _The spell bounced away from Lily and onto its creator who immediately fell to the ground, locked in the Full-Body-Bind Curse.

The shorter took advantage of Lily's concentration being elsewhere, "_Winguardium Leviosa!" _Lily shot up in the air about five feet, but was unable to touch the ground. Luckily, she was wearing pants, but it was still rather uncomfortable spinning about with nothing to grab onto.

She began to call out a incantation, but realized that if he lost control, he would fall. Instead, she aimed her wand at Snape. "Alorthoconodrum!"

He slumped on the ground, and James turned on the shortest Slytherin. Not being able to focus on two things at once, he let Lily drop as he sent a curse at James, who jumped toward where Lily was falling from and tried to catch her but just missed. Quickly looking back over his shoulder, he hexed the last Slytherin, who fell to the ground.

Lily was bleeding badly, and looked to be unconscious. _Right, _James thought. _I'll run and get help. These guys won't be getting up anytime soon. Not after what she did._

He ran into an invisible wall. Casting a suspicious glance over at the Slytherins, he held his hand on the wall and pushed hard. Nothing happened.

Keeping his hand where it was, he walked around the circled wall. It had no openings, or even weaknesses. He turned around again, cursing himself for letting the Slytherins set up a trap without his knowledge. Then it hit him – _Lily was exactly in the center of the invisible wall – just ten feet away from it at all sides!_

Was it really the Slytherins? This wasn't the kind of trick they would pull… but Dumbledore would! Dumbledore, who had cast a spell on them! Dumbledore, who knew they were having arguments! Dumbledore, who told them not to go in opposite directions!

But why had it happened _now _of all times? James slammed his head against the wall., then walked over to where Lily lay. Picking her up, he decided to try an experiment. Maybe if he cared about her, it would all go away! He looked down at her. She was a mess. Blood blending with her copper hair, and running down her cheeks.

She was still beautiful, though. Still the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. It was funny, even, that others in the best of health couldn't compare with this wreck. Cradling her, he kiss her forehead.

Lily's eyes fluttered open, then just as quickly closed. Taking this as a good sign, James set her down and walked to where the wall had been. Nothing was there! Grinning, he continued walking. Confidently he broke into a jog. Within a second he crashed into the invisible wall.


	3. the Hospital Wing

_A/N: I was kinda worried about that last chapter. It was way too sappy and made James look stupid. I hated it, but I couldn't find a better way for the plot to unfold.  . Oh well. Thanks for the reviews!  ._

_Disclaimer: If I told you these were my characters, would you believe me? Exactly._

James groaned. He was stuck inside an invisible wall with Lily Evans and several Slytherins who would undoubtedly hex him when they woke up.

It was Dumbledore, he knew. Something about not going in opposite directions…

James sprang to his feet and ran over to where Lily was. He carefully picked her up as he had a few moments before, but this time the wall had his complete attention. Walking slowly, he carried her to where he had crashed into the wall. It wasn't there. Cautiously, he took several steps. Nothing happened. It was promising, but he didn't want to make the same mistake as last time. He kept edging forward and until he got to the stairs – Dumbledore's office might have been the ideal choice but he didn't trust him right now.

Making his way up, he tried to keep from jostling Lily. He jumped onto a staircase that looked like it was going to Griffindor Tower. He was wrong.

_Well, I suppose its just as well. This couldn't have worked out better if someone had planned it. _He thought sarcastically as he walked into the Hospital Wing. Mademoiselle Pomfrey bustled over, shocked. "Just _what _have you been doing this time, Mr. Potter! Not another of your duels, I should hope!"  
"But it was the Slytherins! Not my fault, I didn't hurt her at all! I mean, sure she was angry, but the Headmaster knows, and there was this invisible wall, and-"

Professor Lindot stepped out of the shadows. "Another tall tale, Potter? I hope you don't think the Headmaster will believe one of those, especially if you claim he is a character in it…" Lindot was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and also the Slytherin Head of House.

"Why are _you_ here?"

"It is hardly a matter of your concern, Potter, that I am here in the Hospital Wing."

Mademoiselle Pomfrey looked flustered. "Yes, yes, off you go, Mr. Potter. Your Professor and I have things to discuss…"

James looked at her pointedly and nodded at Lily.

"Oh! Oh, yes of course, there's a spare bed over there." She pointed a finger at a flowerpot. He set his burden down on top of the bed next to it as Pomfrey leaned over to Lindot and whispered something in his ear. Lindot smirked and swept out of the room.

Rushing over to her cabinet of potions, Pomfrey grabbed several seemingly at random and poured them straight into Lily's mouth, who in turn woke up coughing violently. "Oh, dear. Oh, dear. That wasn't supposed to happen." She murmured as she forced Lily to lay down. Grabbing her wand, she outlined a shape on Lily's forehead.

Smiling weakly, Lily turned to James. "That- that-was some-" she coughed, "some good fighting, Potter." She began hacking just as viciously as before, but Pomfrey poured another potion down her throat and Lily settled back into the bed and closed her eyes, still smiling.

"What was that, Mademoiselle Pomfrey?" James asked curiously. Never had he seen Lily look so sweet, so innocent, so without care.

"A potion for a dreamless sleep." James continued to stare at the one who had called him a good fighter.

"Come on," Pomfrey pointed at the door. "to bed, Mr. Potter! I'm sure the Headmaster will be wanting a word with you in the morning!"

"Uh… Mademoiselle Pomfrey?" he asked quickly.

"Yes?"

"I'm not sure that will work."

"And why not?"

"Dumbledore – I mean Professor Dumbledore – cast this spell on us. We- Lily and I- can't be very far away from each other."

"_Reinci, _you mean?"

He stared at her, stunned.

"Ahhh… he did that to me in my day. To me and Jenna Wilkins. I believe it happened to him as well."

James face broke into an eager grin. "Could you tell me how to break it? Not that Evans and I don't want to be together for the rest of eternity and all, but still!"

She raised her eyebrows. "It works differently for every person."

"But how do you break it?"  
"It breaks differently for different people. For me and Jenna, it was that we had to learn to be friends. I don't know what it was for Dumbledore."

Reluctantly, James sat down on a bed. "Good night."

"Chin up. It's always brighter in the morning." With that, Pomfrey left the wo in the Wing as she went to her private quarters.

_She smiled at me. _James dozed off into a happy, dream-filled sleep.

_A/N: Kinda short, I know. And sappy. There will be action in the next chapter, and I can promise you that L&K won't be like this in the next chapter… yeah. R&R! Let me know what you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_


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